Patents by Inventor James Martin Townsend

James Martin Townsend has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20130272871
    Abstract: In a turbofan gas turbine engine, a fan shaft is rotatably mounted and radially supported by a bearing in a bearing support structure-supported from a fixed engine structure by radially frangible bolts and radially extending spokes. The radially inner ends of the radially extending spokes are mounted on a common member that engages the bearing support structure. The radially outer ends of the radially extending spokes are mounted on fixed structure of the engine located radially outwardly of the bearing support structure. The radially extending spokes are held in tension and include a super elastic material to exert a radially inward restoring force on the bearing support structure, subsequent to any radial excursion of at least part of the fan shaft relative to an engine rotational axis (X) following any fracture of the frangible bolts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2013
    Publication date: October 17, 2013
    Inventors: John Richard Webster, Kenneth Franklin Udall, James Martin Townsend
  • Patent number: 8430622
    Abstract: In a turbofan gas turbine engine, a fan shaft is rotatably mounted and radially supported by a bearing in a bearing support structure supported from a fixed engine structure by radially frangible bolts and radially extending spokes. The radially inner ends of the radially extending spokes are mounted on a common member that engages the bearing support structure. The radially outer ends of the radially extending spokes are mounted on a fixed engine structure located radially outwardly of the bearing support structure. The radially extending spokes are held in tension and include a super elastic material to exert a radially inward restoring force on the bearing support structure, subsequent to any radial excursion of at least part of the fan shaft relative to an engine rotational axis (X) following any fracture of the frangible bolts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventors: John Richard Webster, Kenneth Franklin Udall, James Martin Townsend
  • Publication number: 20080181763
    Abstract: In a turbofan gas turbine engine, a fan shaft is rotatably mounted and radially supported by a bearing in a bearing support structure supported from a fixed engine structure by radially frangible bolts and radially extending spokes. The radially inner ends of the radially extending spokes are mounted on a common member that engages the bearing support structure. The radially outer ends of the radially extending spokes are mounted on a fixed engine structure located radially outwardly of the bearing support structure. The radially extending spokes are held in tension and include a super elastic material to exert a radially inward restoring force on the bearing support structure, subsequent to any radial excursion of at least part of the fan shaft relative to an engine rotational axis (X) following any fracture of the frangible bolts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2007
    Publication date: July 31, 2008
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventors: John Richard Webster, Kenneth Franklin Udall, James Martin Townsend